Folding pew



J. A. WEAG LE FOLDING FEW Jan. 22, 1963 ed Sept. 13, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e T. M y 5 E W J W, my arm i/ITlF/YM Jan. 22, 1963 J.A.wEAGLE 3,074,757

FOLDING FEW I Filed Sept. 13, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 emuuuwr Jam 6, WEWE HIM-m" mun BY /2 f2 J/Z/ W, m7 mm United States Patent M 3,074,757 FGLDING FEW James A. Weagle, Green Bay, Wis, assignor to Baton Manufacturing Corporation, Rio Creek, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Fiied Sept. 13, 196i fies. No. 55,628 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 2973ti) This invention relates to a folding pew.

Heretofore there has been no entirely satisfactory temporary seating facility available for use in churches or the like. Folding chairs have been used, but fall far short of being a satisfactory substitute for conventional church pews.

According to the present invention a folding pew is provided which has a kneeler which folds when the pew is folded to permit convenient stacking of the folded pews. In folding pews embodying the present invention the linkage structure on which the kneeler is folded is such that the pews are adapted to be laid horizontally in vertical stacks. This is just the opposite from folding chairs which stand upright in horizontal stacks, stacking with the individual folded pews horizontal is of considerable advantage, because of the greater size of a pew (as compared to a chair) and the inherent stability of a folded object laid down flat on a floor, as distinguished from being stood up on end. In pews embodying the present invention, stacking with the pews laid horizontally is facilitated because the kneeler does not fold toward the seat and back which are folded toward one another, thus to increase the thickness of the folded pew, but rather is folded away from the folded seat and back to increase the width thereof. Accordingly, when the folded pew is laid over on its side to be stacked in vertical series, a greater number of such pews can be placed in the stack, and the stack will be more stable than would otherwise be the case.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected folding pew embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing only the four-bar linkage and leg mechanism which is desirably used in pairs for supporting the seat and back of folding pews embodying the invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear perspective view of a folding pew embodying the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken along the line 44 of PEG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken through a vertical stack of horizontally disposed folding pews embodying the invention.

Folding pews embodying the invention include seats 16 and backs 11. Each pew desirably consists of two folding support leg structures, one of which is shown separately in FIG. 2. There are fore and aft legs 12, 13, the aft leg being extended upwardly, and at a convenient rearward angle, at 14 to provide a support for the slightly rearwardly inclined back 11. The fore and aft legs 12, 13 are connected by an upper stretcher bar 15 to which seat is attached and by a lower stretcher bar 16.

The fore and aft legs 12, 13 and upper and lower stretcher bars 15, 16 constitute a four-bar folding linkage, the parts of which are respectively pivotally connected together on the pivot pins 19, Zti, 21 and 22. The rear end of upper stretcher bar is desirably bifurcated at 23 and curved upwardly to embrace the extension 14 of aft leg 13. In like manner, the fore leg is bifurcated at 24 and curved rearwardly to embrace the stretcher bar 15. Pivot pin 13' is laterally offset from the longitudinal 3,074,757 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 axis of the fore leg 12 and pivot pin 20 is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the stretcher bar 15, thus to facilitate swinging of the parts into folded position as is shown in FIGURE 5.

According to the present invention, stretcher bars 16 have integral extension portions 25 which project rearwardly of the aft leg 13 and provide a mounting for a kneeler 26. The rearward extensions 25 are also desirably provided with downturned foot portions 27 which abut the floor 28 for direct support of the kneeler 26. Accordingly, the stretcher bars and legs are not unduly stressed when the kneeler is in use.

The four-bar linkage is such that when the pew is folded as shown in FIG. 5, the parts fold about the pivots 1922 inclusive to bring the seat It and back 11 into parallelism proximate one another and to pivot the kneeler 26 away from the seat and back, thus to elongate the structure substantially on the axis of the aft leg 13 and its extension 14-. This is advantageous for the reasons aforestated and particularly because it promotes vertical stacking of folded pews laid horizontally, as is shown in FIG. 5. Each pew occupies minimum space in the vertical direction.

To look the respective pews against inadvertent folding when erected, there is provided a latch lever 31 pivotally connected on a pivot pin 32 to the stretcher bar 15. The latch lever has a hooked end 33 which engages over a locking pin 34 on the aft leg 13 to hold the pew against folding when it is erected. Upward movement of the hook 33 about the axis of pin 34, as shown in FIG. 5, will release the latch and permit folding of the pew.

The latch lever 31 has a rearward extension 35 which will abut the undersurface of the seat 16 which overhangs the latch to limit the range within which lever 31 can operate. Accordingly, when the pew is erected from its folded position shown in FIG. 5, the abutment of the rearward extension 35 against the undersurface of the seat 10 will limit the range of pivotal movement of the lever 31 and will tend to guide the hook 33 into automatic alignment with the pin 34 so that minimum manual manipulation of the latch is needed to lock the pew in erected position.

Pews embodying the present invention are elongated sufficiently to seat two to six persons. Accordingly, relatively great numbers of people can be accommodated in temporary seating with a much smaller number of folding pews. Folding pews embodying the present invention are more stable and will occupy less space, both when stacked and erected, than folding chairs for the same seating capacity. Morever, from the standpoint of appearances, folding pews are preferred in churches over folding chairs. One pew is suitably spaced behind another so that persons seated at one pew may conveniently kneel on the kneeler of the pew ahead.

I claim:

1. A folding pew adapted to be laid horizontally and stacked in vertical series with like folding pews, said pew comprising a seat, a back and a four bar folding linkage including fore and aft legs for said seat and back and upper and lower non-collapsible stretchers between said legs, said fore and aft legs having floor engaging ends, means for pivotally connecting said lower stretcher to said aft legs at points spaced substantially at kneeler height from the floor engaging ends of the aft legs, said lower stretcher having an integral extension projecting rearwardly of said aft leg and a kneeler on said extension, said seat and back folding toward one another and said kneeler folding away from the seat and back when said linkage is folded whereby to adapt the folded pew for vertical stacking as aforesaid.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said kneeler has feet extending downwardly and at substantially a right angle to the lower stretcher and into abutment with a floor when the pew is erected.

3. The device of claim 1 in further combination with a latch to hold the pew against folding when it is erected. 5 4. The device of claim 3 in which said upper stretcher is overhung by the seat, said latch comprising a latch lever, a pivot pin therefor on the said upper stretcher, a hook at one end of the latch lever, said lever having a rearward extension beyond said pivot pin for abutment 10 with the undersurface of the overhanging seat to limit the range of pivotal movement of the lever on its pin.

References @ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Matteson Apr. 11, Boardman Feb. 18, Anderson July 25, Norquist Mar. 31, McIntyre Mar. 9, 00m Mar. 19,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Sept. 22, Denmark June 17, 

1. A FOLDING PEW ADAPTED TO BE LAID HORIZONTALLY AND STACKED IN VERTICAL SERIES WITH LIKE FOLDING PEWS, SAID PEW COMPRISING A SEAT, A BACK AND A FOUR BAR FOLDING LINKAGE INCLUDING FORE AND AFT LEGS FOR SAID SEAT AND BACK AND UPPER AND LOWER NON-COLLAPSIBLE STRETCHERS BETWEEN SAID LEGS, SAID FORE AND AFT LEGS HAVING FLOOR ENGAGING ENDS, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LOWER STRETCHER TO SAID AFT LEGS AT POINT SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY AT KNEELER HEIGHT FROM THE FLOOR ENGAGING ENDS OF THE AFT LEGS, SAID LOWER STRETCHER HAVING AN INTEGRAL EXTENSION PROJECTING REARWARDLY OF SAID AFT LEG AND A KNEELER ON SAID EXTENSION, SAID SEAT AND BACK FOLDING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND SAID KNEELER FOLDING AWAY FROM THE SEAT AND BACK WHEN SAID LINKAGE IS FOLDED WHEREBY TO ADAPT THE FOLDED PEW FOR VERTICAL STACKING AS AFORESAID. 